By Susan Crawford
Magazine
Nov/Dec 2002
When Old World map makers were creating new maps and reached the far edge of known waters, they stopped, and fearing the uncharted, simply wrote "Beyond Here There Be Dragons". If you are embarking on your Internet maiden voyage, the information here is designed to slay any Internet dragons and help you chart your own adventure in these waters - bon voyage!
In The
Beginning
The original idea of the Internet came from physicists who wanted to
share information with colleagues. Then the U.S. military became involved
adding their twist of transmitting information across an undefeatable
environment. This undefeatable environment has been achieved through
the concept of breaking information into hundred of pieces (data packets),
routing it across hundreds of points then reassembling it safely at
its appointed destination. This is simple exercise in risk management.
Whereas there is a high degree of interception risk in transmitting
one packet of information, devious minds would find intercepting hundreds
of small packets along hundreds of unpredictable points much like attempting
to herd cats.
Connecting to the Internet starts with your computer. Your task is to select an Internet service provider who not only gives you access to the super highway but also gives you the vehicle by which to travel-software for your computer called a "browser." The Internet super highway is a network of other router hubs, servers and computers linked together along a super-powered structure (collectively, call the "Internet backbone"). Your requests moves along this structure on its journey to the destination server/computer and back. When you browse the Internet, you are activating this loop with the end result of having the requested information delivered to your computer (session ends and a new session is initiated by your next request/command). Consequently, cached somewhere on your computer's hard drive (usually under Temporary Internet Files) is every Web page you have ever requested (including all graphics) ready for you to read offline. If you do a lot of browsing, you should keep an eye on this cache as you should empty it occasionally to prevent any computer problems.
Recognizing
Each Other Online
All computers across the Internet (and the Web sites on them) need a
unique way to identify themselves to each other. This identification
is achieved by assigning each computer an Internet address ("URL")
that looks something like this: "123.23.43.121." In order
for a person to assess a Web page they need this numeric Internet address-but
who can remember all these numbers? Luckily, the Domain Names System
("DNS") allows us to use text addresses while it does the
job of translating each name into the numbers computers need. If you
want to learn more about the Internet numbering, visit http://www.arin.net/.
To ease the confusion and congestion of explosive growth, another naming system recognizes major domains (categories). These groups are designated by the last group of letters in a text domain name. The most commonly recognized domains of the current eleven are .com (commercial), .edu (education), .gov (government) and .net (network). Two-letter groups designate country of origin such as .uk (United Kingdom), .fr (France) and .ca (Canada). Special computers called "name servers" keep track of all these addresses and designations ensuring proper routing of all Internet traffic.
Internet
Myths & Cookies
Like the Old World map makers image of dragons, the Internet has its
myths and murky waters, too. One myth pertains to information security
and something called "cookies." Cookies are bits of information
created whenever you volunteer information about yourself or set personal
preferences online. This information is filed on your computer and retrieved
whenever you revisit that site. Cookies are intended to be helpers and
they cannot sneak onto your hard drive to pirate at will. If you'd rather
avoid cookies, most browsers allow you to enable/disable cookies (on
MS Internet Explorer, look under Tools/Internet Options/Security). When
you empty your cache, you will also delete all accumulated cookies.
Internet
Security
The most common concerns about the Internet are viruses and information
security (privacy and control over personal information, financial records
and purchasing transactions). Having the latest protection software
is always wise but being a savvy user is your best defense. Be careful
where you create a password, sign up or buy things. This is where you
can get a "cookie" that will tag you. A good tip if you want
to be as safe as possible online before you perform a confidential transaction,
such as submitting a credit card number, is to be sure you are in a
secure environment. Two icons will be displayed on your browser when
you are in a secure environment. First, at bottom-right you should see
a "locked padlock" icon and second, the address (top-center)
should begin with "https://" (not just "http://").
Using
Search Engines
Search engines is an Internet tool (like a Web site) that helps you
find information sources by submitting key words. My favorites are wisenut.com,
teoma.com and google.com (they all get their results differently, so
I test my searches across several search engines. Most search engines
use a symbolic logic system called Boolean Logic (named after George
Bole, a French mathemetician who invented it). This system uses a set
of connecting words and symbols called "operators"-- AND,
OR, NOT, NEAR, -, and +--to make your search results more meaningful.
In this example, let's assume your daughter is doing a project on pumpkins.
You search for the key word pumpkins and get 5,000 returns, most of
them about the Smashing Pumpkins rock group. What next? You decide to
use two terms to narrow your search. You type the key words pumpkins
and varieties but get even more results than the previous search! What
happened? If you use two terms without specifying a Boolean operator,
most search engines will interpret it as OR. This means that you will
get a list of all Web sites that contain the word pumpkins AND/OR the
word varieties. Instead of limiting your search, you have expanded it
and now you have pie recipes and pumpkin-colored paint. Next, try typing
the key words pumpkinNOTpaint, or type the key words pumpkinANDhistory.
Success! This strategy works by specifying that the words must both
appear in the document for it to show up on your result list. Another
variation is to use a semi-colon: pumpkin;varieties. Yet another variation
is to insert a + in front of every word you want included in the search.
Some search engines allow you to use quotation marks to link words together.
This makes the words a phrase which says all the words must appear together
and in the specified order. The asterisk (*) acts as a wild card meaning
"everything". Use it as a shortcut for unique long words or
to finish a word or name you can only partially spell. Don't discount
OR; it can be useful to use both the full word and an abbreviation,
such as a company's stock exchange symbol, with OR in the middle. And
a final tip, if you use lower case letters, the search will find both
upper and lower case instances of the expression.
My Top
Picks
I researched a lot of Internet books and sites and highly recommend
one pair of resources if you want to learn more about Internet operations.
Visit www.internet-tips.net and find a copy of "How The Internet
Works" by Preston Gralla.
A Note About Next Year
Technologies for Worship magazine and I will continue to partner together next year. In 2003, this column will be dedicated to "Web Strategies That Click." We will also share the real-life experiences of an existing church Web site as it undergoes a Web site assessment and deals with its findings. As always, your comments and feedback is welcome. Best wishes for a safe and blessed holiday!
By Susan Crawford
Magazine
Sep/Oct 2002
Migration sounds like such a friendly thing. Instinctual callings that cyclically flow through generations of caribou, whales and swallows driving these herds, pods and flocks to embark on a journey that ensures their survival. Translated in modern business terms, it seems fair to envision a migration project as a team-building exercise leading to a change for the common good. If so, then why do your technology folk look like deer caught in headlights when it's mentioned? Is it more than mere coincidence that migration and migraine have the same root word?
Natural Versus Business
Migration, foremost, means movement. In business arenas, migration is typically the act of upgrading servers, building networks or software integration. The biggest difference between natural migration and business migration is that a business is not allowed the luxury of ceasing operations to singularly focus on the migration. Businesses must simultaneously juggle ongoing operations while moving a whole support group in a new direction (hence, the startled-deer look). There is one critical aspect of a natural migration in which the opposite is true for a business migration. To grasp the impact of a business migration project, look at the size of the world affected and not the size of the group itself. In our technologically-connected world, a business migration carries a myriad of technological implications with any benefits gained, or repercussions encountered, being exponential (hence, the migraine).
What Is The Pull In Hinkley, Ohio?
Instinct has provided the buzzards that return annually to Hinkley, Ohio with the one component of a migration that allows everything else to easily fall into place - they know where they are going. With the speed of business change today, it is impossible to pinpoint a definitive final destination for a one-time business migration. Wiser thinking recognizes that, due to this unpredictability, business migrations are best executed in stages. Reach one near-term goal, check prevailing winds with an eye toward planning the next phase. Without a ready-supplied destination, it is more difficult for businesses to identify the other components needed to stage a timely deployment. Those lucky buzzards!
How does migration affect you as a Webmaster or Internet Strategist? You are headed for a migration project if you want to: 1. find another host for your Web site or another Internet Service Provider (ISP) 2. gain cost savings through standardization and consolidation 3. upgrade to e-commerce or other Web-based solutions 4. move to new HTML editing software or server-side Web applications such as Active Server Pages (ASP) 5. upgrade inhouse servers or operating platforms.
Arctic Circle to Antarctic Circle
Arctic terns are migration champions and you might need to find your own Web equivalent if you are undertaking a major initiative such as migrating brick-and-mortar operations to click-and-mortar. Some migration projects, however, are manageable and require minimal outside help. Two of the most common church migration projects, switching HTML software or changing your Web host, are discussed below in basic terms that should cover most situations. These discussions assume that you already have under your belt the experience of successfully migrating your Web site from its test environment ("going live").
Migrating Your Web Site Host
[Moving a Web site from one Web site host to another can be complicated if e-commerce applications are involved, so information here does not address e-commerce issues.] The first task is to understand your domain name and who holds its registration. You probably know your Web site name (or URL) as www.something.org. The "something.org" is your domain name and it has been registered with InterNIC through a registering organization like VeriSign or your Web host. Now, you need to discern who holds your domain registration. It is preferable for a church to hold its domain registration but it is not unusual for a Web host to hold it. [If you don't know, go to www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois and enter a URL to view its registration details.] If your Web host is holding your registration, then you need to negotiate for its release (including costs) before you can change Web hosts. (As you don't want to risk losing your domain name in an ownership dispute, I recommend arranging this release even if you don't want to change hosts.)
Keeping Migration "A Good Thing"
In a successful
migration project, an eTeam should have a well-defined destination and
keep a constant eye on support planning and newly discovered needs.
As the unpredictability of constant change often makes this easier said
than done, remember to celebrate milestones and migrate your mind toward
some well-earned fun, too!
Hyperlinks
Cited
· www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois
· http://htmlgoodies.earthweb.com/tutors/preload.html
· www.bignosebird.com
By Susan Crawford
Magazine
Jul/Aug 2002
If the crux of real estate success rests in location-location-location then the crux of online success rests in prepare-prepare-prepare. This article explores some tenets affecting a religious Internet presence. It offers effective strategies for contingency planning and shows how contingency planning can build a better online ministry.
This article was the issue's featured article and, therefore, longer than others.
The Internet is a global leveler. With a small investment and a little effort, anything anyone wants to say can be given nonstop published voice 24/7 around the world. The Internet knows no government censorship nor does it embrace any single ideology. With every imaginable audience before you, it is a waste to be anything less than fully engaged. No other form of communication is more open than a Web site and, in launching a Web site, you've agreed to become a citizen in this global community that accepts everyone without qualification. Everything written, displayed or heard on the Internet is taken by its citizens at the face value of here-and-now without prejudice from history, tradition, protocol, or social proclivities. This means that certain emotional and intellectual edicts, which would hold principles like the sacredness of a church site, will not be shared and respected online. The general contention among researchers is that homogeneity (i.e. mutual values) promotes integration, trust, and ease of communication. Homogeneity exists with your current members/users but the vast majority of the online world doesn't know you. Everyone else meets online as strangers and, in the absence of homogeneity, assumptions reign. The litany of tenets assumed about Web sites is a virtual Internet terms-and-conditions agreement (with only an "accept" button at the bottom). I find three tenets really drive the rest.
One: What Translates and What Doesn't
It is assumed you understand that the Internet is a culture unto itself, and the offline cultural practices you are bringing are secondary. In this assumption, you are expected to respect the Internet culture before its citizens will respect you. Understanding the Internet culture means you are offering appropriate interaction on a real-time basis (i.e. offer email, then make sure emails are answered daily). Knowing that most visitors may not know you, your site content should go to extra lengths to explain practices, rites, observances, mandates, programs and culture-unique terms. (Undertaking this may prove a two-fold benefit in helping refresh core values and beliefs with existing members.)
Two: Have You Taken The Internet Seriously?
It
is assumed that, in launching an online ministry, you are seeking active
interaction. Maintaining a Web site is the online equivalent of an offline
open house - a perpetual open house 
- so expect visitors and expect that they will want to engage you across
many forums. In making yourself known and inviting people to know you
better, guests will intuit whether you are a gracious host by ease of
navigation, content relevance and piqued curiosity. Nothing is worse than
a disappointing open house where the initial flood of visitors is reduced
to a trickle of casual visitors who never return. If you want to be taken
seriously, demonstrate that you take your visitor seriously. Find out
how different users/visitors like to interact (their behavior characteristics)
and accommodate these needs. (Rome wasn't built in a day, so implement
new technologies in phases.) Your audience will be diverse so, in your
planning, you may want to provide language options, have an area for people
can follow church life and stay in touch (travelers, college students,
deployed military, etc.), offer instant messaging, host Prayer Posts,
or let people submit/post ideas for new programs.
Three: Users Will Take You Seriously
It is assumed that all views expressed are official stands of your denomination. This assumption brings high accountability. Theologically, it makes sense to support content with references from disciplines or canon. Even if well referenced, you can expect that doctrine will be scrutinized and stands on social issues may be challenged. One item you might not think to clarify is your affiliation. Similarly named groups may embrace vastly different practices, and you might want to be very specific about how you identify yourself (do you know the difference between Roman Catholic and Orthodox Catholic?). Let's not take one on the chin for the other guys. For many churches, ministering online can be a unique experience that succeeds with the gain of some acquired thinking. They are surprised to find that understanding the online audience and how to minister to them in a virtual world has taken just as much energy as their discipling efforts. Users will bring thousands of individual and multinational perspectives to their experience with you. They will draw assumptions that can raise some response challenges and bring realities to bear you may not have anticipated.
Three Fronts To Address
Collectively, these Web assumptions will open three fronts which a church (or church agency) should be prepared to address. Religious sites are interpreted social touch points extending an open invitation to join, an open offer of assistance and an open invitation for reaction. Although your goal may be to offer a spiritual home, the invitation-to-join is at least implied so anticipate that new visitors will need content expressed in "unchurched-friendly" language. This means rephrasing "churchy" terms to speak the language of the "unchurched" (offer a glossary). Explain the life of your church by describing spiritual growth through each program and, foremost, be invitational and welcoming.
If your site is accepted as an invitation of assistance, users will bring an online ministry appeals for help on a multitude of immediate needs from unexpected corners. Knowing this, if a hotline is offered, a wise eTeam will prepare to respond 24/7 and have strategic community partners to help them field appeals on any number of social needs. For example, if your church makes a call for food bank donations then announces distribution for Saturday, don't be surprised if you receive emergency appeals on Thursday or Friday. Also, anticipate that your reach may prove wider than anticipated and expect requests to serve the neighboring community, county or state. If this expansive reach is beyond your means, again, have referral resources ready. And last, your site may be seen as a target for reaction where online views can be openly challenged. Given recent headlines, imagine the recent activity levels and exchanges experienced by the Catholic News Service (www.catholic.org) and the sustained level at www.cbs.com/primetime/9_11. If you find yourself charged with damage control, PR experts will advise that responses made be in a single, unified voice of appropriate authority. This goes back to the assumption that you speak for your denomination and if this is not the case, say so openly. Thankfully, most churches do not need to have large scale response plans but ask yourself, how would you want to be able to respond if the Chandra Levy family were members of your church? Moderate activity under each of these front denotes a healthy Web presence; but what happens when a major event tips this scale?
When outside influences drive up site activity, the demands-for-response will not only mirror the perceived magnitude of the event but will also carry the very real potential of becoming exponential (snowballing beyond your capabilities to control). If you site is relevant to the event, it can be catapulted into high visibility. "Weeks ahead of New Yorkers, people in Oklahoma City understood what it meant when the Twin Towers collapsed. … During the week of Sept. 11, the hotline at Oklahoma's department of mental health got 300 calls - triple its normal volume." [Time, October 29, 2001]
Trigger events could be a local natural disaster, a medical emergency, an act of war, religious or political threats or a global event such as 9-11. Prepare-prepare-prepare. Realistic planning puts in place the leadership answers of "how" and "enough" in online and offline terms so there is action agility at the time of the disaster or crisis. "How" is answered online by churches through an eDiscipling team who focuses on providing a unique interface which offers emotional comfort and spiritual guidance augmented with a menu of related resources and opportunities to interact.
"Enough" is answered offline with tasks divided between an eResponse team and an eAdmin team. The eResponse team focuses on delivering the anticipated needs for disaster response or crisis management. They monitor different site areas to act as conduit for event response, collaboration and "how" updates. The eResponse team also works between church/agency members and community or government partners to help filter fact from hearsay. The eAdmin team takes care of business in technical terms so the work of the eDiscipling and eResponse teams aren't crippled by down-time. They ensure that a site is serviced by a competent ISP (Internet service provider) who can ensure site security and handle load spikes so unexpected traffic doesn't crash your site. Down-time is when your Web site is offline and unavailable for any reason. Even though a 5% down-time rate sounds low, in the 24/7 world of the Internet this still means a Web site is out of commission for 18 days a year. Ask your Web host about their up-time rate (you want at least 98%; my Web host guarantees 99.9%). The eAdmin team would be responsible for having a contingency plan in the event the site does crash, and they also take on the work of running chat rooms, conducting Webcasts, connecting to databases, making resources downloadable and troubleshooting site functions. If you want to see how various agency's are carrying out their missions (acting as conduits), a couple different sites worth visiting includes www.disasters.org.uk, www.airdisaster.com, www.redcross.org, or www.medlineplus.gov.
Maintaining Sacred Ground
Being an Internet citizen could bring high visibility so there is an element of exposure in undertaking an online ministry that could require a wide circle of offline support. The key to a church site enjoying safe ground online is in the respect gained from being prepared on these three fronts. In reacting to content, visitors will stay or leave according to how well beliefs are conveyed and whether those beliefs resonate with personal beliefs. Sometimes, no matter how well content is wordsmithed, some visitors will weigh content as pure propaganda or advertising. How can you be sure you are focused on being a meaningful online ministry? You have already anticipated content and delivery, now go one-on-one. Keep in mind that this global community still communicates on a personal level. Review your site and offer names* over titles, limit use of "insider" terms, and be as inclusive as possible. You've shown your commitment with the community by becoming an online conduit, and now you can help visitors connect with their offline community. Offer "get around" details for new residents by giving directions and phone numbers for schools, county clerk's office, and auto inspection stations. Respect - what goes around, comes around. (*My favorite don't-do-this example is a neighborhood church which offers 39 names on its staff page. Screen after screen, this looks like wonderful information as you scroll down this long page until you realize none of the email addresses are live email links. Thirty-nine opportunities to minister and uplift lost.)
Highlighter, Please
No one wants to prepare for war but the events of 9/11 has brought many an ostrich head out of the sand. 9/11 and the bioterrorism threats strained many contingency plans and illustrates the ongoing need for collaboration across all boundaries. The Internet is the perfect vehicle for coordinating joint efforts. If you have looked at your Web site along the lines of the three assumptions and three fronts, above, then you are in good position to be proactive when greater collaboration is called. You are providing meaningful information and support in delivery methods most used by your users. Whenever you offer a new service, step through the entire process from the visitor's perspective. In the case of setting up email, remember to create an email response which is friendly, thanks the emailee for responding and offers a personal invitation to ministry services, offers a prayer partner they can contact or provides related links. Also, don't forget to share and celebrate your successes. There is a good side to high visibility and achievements are worth recognizing - don't keep your lamp under a bushel, we all like good news.
Highlighter Down
People are the heart of a church. A church Web site needs the offline support, ideas and energies of every member of the congregation from Day One. Solicit participation from youth, single parents, senior adults, children and ministers, alike, and take their input online. Programmatically, the online church community shouldn't be any different from offline as both carry the same mission. Even though contingency planning is usually relegated to the last step in a Web site launch, going through some disaster response or crisis management exercises can actually result in a very vibrant and relevant online community of faith.
Hyperlinks
Cited
www.disasters.org.uk
www.airdisaster.com
www.redcross.org
www.medlineplus.gov
www.catholic.org
By Susan Crawford
Magazine
May/Jun 2002
Wanda the Web site had been endowed with alluring JAVA routines and FLASH pages, and she had enjoyed a fun launch year attracting lots of hits on the superhighway. Although she was still receiving glowing emails applauding her attributes, Wanda was nagged by bouts of deep isolation. Accolades are nice, but she felt she needed to get professional advice and the time had come to consult a strategist. The exam had been lengthy and explored areas seldom visited. Now, she was nervously awaited the prognosis and as he re-entered the room, Wanda drew a long breath and braced herself. "People mean well," she said, "They think a glamorous life is all I need, but I'm not building meaningful relationships and everything seems a struggle.
With a heavy exhale she continued, "The kindest thing you can do is give it to me straight, Doc". Looking at his new patient, he did as she asked and plainly said "Wanda, I'm afraid you have RFA. I can help you but rehabilitation carries only a 30% chance of full recovery." Wanda's sharp wail startled the patient in the next exam room. At least the weak knees it gave him stopped his pacing.
Often misdiagnosed, RFA (ready-fire-aim) is a disease of the online process system which leaves visitors with an incomplete experience (such as teaching someone how to fly but not how to land). It generally manifests itself as visitor frustration and low traffic rates. Recovery means facing rehabilitation against unknown outcomes because many critical factors, like recapturing your target audience, may be beyond your control. Once a Web site has a home page with navigation to contact information, services, and "who are we", deadlines or business plans often drive RFA to be misdiagnosed as ready-for-action. This results in premature launches that have only stepped through alpha testing. How do you prevent RFA? A good way to prevent RFA is a pre-launch checklist takes the site through solid alpha testing (a dry run of all basic functions) before it heads into wider beta testing (troubleshooting deeper functionality bugs uncovered by mock users): · Look around your Web site and identify whizz-bangs. Whizz-bangs are good and bad. Good whizz-bangs provide visual excitement without detracting from content. Bad whizz-bangs catapult technology at the cost of content. Five demerits for each bad whizz-bang but ten points for the courage to remove it.
Think of your Web site as expensive real estate. Look at every element on every page and ask if it is appropriate. If a visitor only needs Windows Media Player on your 'Fellowship' page to view the men's spaghetti dinner, does it make sense to have the WMP-install link on the navigation bar for every page? No. (Find the link that would make you answer "yes," like a 'Find Us' link, and implement it.) Does each page offer good information hierarchy? Look at having important information readily identifiable and complete (description, events, times and locations). Do directions only get visitors to your parking lot but don't say how to find the nursery? · Do all pages reflect the same developmental effort? Has the launch been harried and let some interior pages look hurried? Or worse, do you have any skeletal pages that only say "under construction?" · Think about writing style. Is the writing conversational and warm but succinct? Are pages inundated with redundant headers? Does the bolding make sense? Would bullets help identify a list of information? Would a spot font color change, in a particular area, help the reader? · Do large graphics force visitor patience for long downloads (surprise, visitors have virtually no patience)? Do all graphics provide alternative text (see 'picture properties')?
Rehabilitation (Grabbing That 30% Chance)
A Web site only works when it can build the kind of relationships that draw visitors back as a return customers and, eventually, as community citizens. If the online experience doesn't support these relationships, the Web project is in jeopardy. Early relationships are fragile and difficult to rebuild.
Rehabilitation
means taking an honest look and committing yourself to reshaping lessons
into foresight (and, of course, the up side of treatment is that you're
providing a top experience to new visitors). First, ask how should success
be measured:
· Growth in number of active customers
· Growth in customer's commitments to you
· Customer retention rate (high)
· Customer defections (low)
· Customer referrals
· Customer acquisition costs
· Customer spending/giving patterns
Second, take a look at customer demands that typically change Web businesses and find those that your Web site should embrace:
1. Open and convenient access 2. Real-time information 3. Specialized information 4. Information portability 5. Process transparency 6. The ability to set prices 7. Choice of distribution 8. Control over personal information
Third, now that you have identified your measures for success and customer demands, chart them into an assessment grid (omitted here, sorry). Answering each of these 4 basic questions in 4 strategic areas will reveal whether your Web site is ready-for-action or suffering ready-fire-aim: NAVIGATION, PERFORMANCE, OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENT.
Highlighter, Please
So, what happens if a Web site assessment reveals areas of ready-fire-aim? There are some simple fixes you can easily implement but, for now, keep doing what works. The first step to overcoming RFA is to isolate those weak areas or elements that don't work, assign each problem area an A-B-C priority rating based on its impact toward success and chart them into an action plan. Easy fixes can be as simple as observing good manners. Can your visitor find contact information from every page? Can visitors find navigation and service "help" on every page? Do all your email links offer the full URL? How deep are your click-throughs - how many clicks must a visitor endure to get to key information? Are you guilty of sending users to a nav bar for a menu selection then to a section page that only offers another link? In an actual church case study, the final link took visitors to a page of 39 staff contacts randomly listed down a very long page. There was no navigational help as you scrolled down the page and, although everyone listed had an email address, every URL was dead. Thirty-nine opportunities to link, help, serve and minister lost - classic RFA.
Another simple fix is looking at the colors used on your Web site. It is a common practice for a church to launch a Web site in two phases. First, an outside firm is contracted to design the initial look. Then, in Phase II, the Web site is to be tweaked inhouse when time permits. Reality in these instances is that Phase I usually results in a church site that is too business-like, and there is never time for Phase II to correct the problems. The Phase I, inappropriate business colors (usually black with a cold contrast color like deep brick or steel blue) typically go hand-in hand with a factual writing style. Without Phase II, the site never enjoys warm colors which offer a more inviting sense of online vibrancy for visitors, and the writing delivers facts instead of an informational sense of community - all classic RFA. More intentional fixes include taking advantage of clickstream information. "Clickstream" refers to your Web site traffic and the visitor patterns traffic reports can reveal. Traffic analysis software, like WebTrends, identifies which are the most popular pages, number of visitors, etc. These user patterns provide important insight to eTeams who must develop an action plan against user expectations. A little more proactive approach would be offering a "how are we doing?" user feedback opportunity in the form of a simple online poll. (If you implement an online poll, avert secondary RFA by also providing polling results and thanking each voter.)
Highlighter Down
Other ready-for-action strategies can include sharing resources and drawing on the strength of partnering with denominational agencies, wherever possible (why reinvent the wheel?), to expand services. HTML errors are the most prevailing RFA problem, but sites that analyze code, like WebSiteGarage, can help you spot and debug any HTML problems. You can also find lots of HTML help and Web tips at http://amazinghtml.com/. Ready-fire-aim problems need to be addressed quickly and reshaped into ready-for-action. The longer the wait, the tougher the recovery because the first visitors to your site, typically, are the most supportive. If they have a poor experience, it will be difficult to recover these users and fringe visitors won't sustain your mission. As for Wanda, she conducted a user poll and retuned areas as her strategist advised. She's now basking a full online life and the recent designation as a "top site." Thanks for asking.
Hyperlinks
Cited
http://amazinghtml.com
www.websitegarage.com
eOatmeal
By Susan Crawford
Magazine
Mar/Apr 2002
"Piping"
is a Scottish term referring to their tradition of having bagpipers herald
the arrival of fresh haggis into the lord's dining hall straight from
the oven.
Haggis is an ancient oatmeal-based entree mixed with meat and spices that is still their national dish today. When I perform Web site assessments, I hunt out content that isn't haggis - anything that isn't piping hot, informationally nutritive, appetite satisfying or delivered appropriately. If it isn't haggis, it's just eOatmeal.
Web Dietitian
The most
important element to frame in building your online presence is the telling
of who you are and how you define your core competencies, the story of
your organization. This can be an elusive target as, typically, initial
efforts produce a mission statement which is then rephrased as a vision
statement and inserted on a home page with too many generalities. It follows
that a user then moves to interior pages that are information-intensive
(straying across too many subjects) yet graphically starved. In telling
your story, informationally nutritive m
eans
having varied and relevant content within a strong information hierarchy;
appetite satisfying refers to different menus/paths spiced for different
tastes/users; and heralded into the life of your user speaks to having
an intentional presentation through appropriate use of technology. Anything
less is just eOatmeal - static "brochureware".
But all is not lost by any means. Every writer goes through a phase of mental purging before he finds his creative diamond, and Internet publishing is the same way, so don't stop now. Finding ways to help a Web site move beyond dreaded brochureware can be as easy as reviewing your content. Online visitors will draw a plumb line straight from content to how they perceive your value, so carefully crafted content will ensure your first impression is the desired impression. It will also have the added benefit of raising your search engine ranking. Think of your Web site as a business and if business writing is not your forte, hiring a copywriter to edit your work could be a savvy investment. It is logical, as a Web presence ages, to update content but what about updating against changing user expectations? Identifying user expectations is a strategic exercise which means donning the mantle of a visitor forever. Bringing these findings forward into an action plan is crucial follow-through to perform even if this exercise presses an eTeam beyond traditional thinking.
Food For Thought
Another easy fix is checking your navigation structure, but I don't mean where the links take the visitor. Before linking pages, think about the sequence of links on your navigation bar. Visitors will read from upper left first so arrange your menu links in a hierarchy according to user needs. Also design navigation links throughout your page if users scroll your pages. Another simple way to improve user value is providing a glossary (a thoughtful gesture for study groups and unchurched visitors). Headers (headlines) are a good way to transition between subjects and can be either informational or humorous teasers. Watch your phrasing, though, so headers are not humorous when you intend to be informational. One church worship bulletin shared with me recently was announcing the morning and evening sermon topics, and the header read: "This morning, 'Jesus Walks On Water', tonight 'Looking For Jesus.'"
If you are not the technical sort but would like to add some pizzazz to a Web site (achieve haggis), there is a huge library of small softwares that can add creative touches quickly and easily (lots of drag-drop features). Sharewares are small softwares which perform specific tasks, and you can tap many of these for $30 USD. Browsing sharewares can help you find ways to offer other site functionality. Eyeball Chat can bring video chat, ED Studio can add virtual tours while other sharewares create mouseover effects and validate your HTML code. Then, there are freewares like IrFanview (for image effects) and adwares which give you free software but ask you to visit/support their sponsors. Hundreds of softwares are available as quick downloads from sites such as www.tucows.com. Shareware can help you animate small headers or banners. Basic animation is done by first creating several GIF graphics which show a sequence of action then "stitching" these pictures together into one. This file is then uploaded and the action is viewed in a continuous loop by visitors. The highest ranking shareware to do this stitching is 'Animagic' (available through www.tucows.com for about $30 USD). A tip from Web experts is to incorporate cascading style HTML into your Web site. A cascading stylesheet ("CSS") saves you work - it eliminates repetitous HTML entry and saves on rigorous maintenance. A CSS defines and names particular style groups (different combinations of attributes, i.e. color, font, font size, underlining). Then, wherever you need that combination repeated you simply cite that name in your HTML. CoffeeCup Stylesheet Maker does a good job of helping you understand and use stylesheets (also available through www.tucows.com for about $30 USD).
In
The Lower 48
With a little extra design thought you can accommodate a much neglected visitor, the physically-challenged. The United States has an 'Americans with Disabilities Act' ("ADA") which seeks to address the needs of individuals with disabilities in all environments, including online [visit http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm]. ADA guidelines identify significant barriers to access (you may have incorporated many if you accommodated "graphics off" in your HTML plans):
1. Use relative sizing and positioning (%) rather than absolute (pixels);
2. If color is used to convey information, make sure the information is also represented another way;
3. make sure major event handlers do not require use of a mouse;
4. add a descriptive title to links;
5. identify headers for data table rows and columns;
6. use style sheets to control layout and presentation wherever possible;
7. offer clear and consistent navigation structure;
8. offer a site map, and validate your HTML;
9. check that foreground and backgrounds colors contrast sufficiently with each other;
10. use the ABBR and ACRONYM elements to denote and expand any abbreviations and acronyms that are present.
11. Another way to provide a good experience for challenged users is to investigate offering page customization.
Many of these ADA guidelines expand a developer's focus and are good Web site development basics which, like having good content, all contribute to improving search engine results - if this is important to you. I say "if" because there still remains today, a sense of urgency about the need for search engine registration and being among the top returns. eTeams are singularly convinced that optimizing their Web site means entering the fray of trying to be a top searching return. Done correctly, this is a large undertaking. Done incorrectly, search engine registration can be a large and expensive undertaking with poor results. The key question to ask yourself first is "where does most of my traffic come from right now?" and let your answer set this priority and determine an appropriate budget. If you feel top search engine ranking is crucial to driving site traffic and meeting your business plan, then search engine optimization should be approached with all the energy and strategy of any media [branding] campaign.
In developing this strategy, do not separate your registration thinking from your expectations and Web site preparedness. There are decisions and homework ahead. A search engine initiative is not a one-time effort. New search engines appear regularly and existing ones change their criteria. Then, there are thousands of other registrants jockeying to cut your ranking, and your own Web site will undergo changes requiring resubmission. All of these factors will influence your positioning and the health (life) of your site. Initial considerations in a search engine initiative include determine which search engines to pursue and what level and category of registration is appropriate; what are the search engine's key triggers which will help you get the results you want and does your Web site comply with each search engine's criteria? There are a million Web sites competing with yours to be a top result, so the odds are already not in your favor. To make matters worse, even if your hard work achieves a top 100 result, you can only expect users to browse the top 50. Understanding these givens will help you set realistic expectations and decide which registrations are worth the registration effort and expense. Once you have a plan in place, don't register ahead of having your Web site prepared. You also shouldn't be in a rush for results, anyway, as most registrations require 12 weeks to enter a database, be accepted and start bringing results. If search engine traffic is critical to your ministry's plan, you should anticipate this timeline so it will not have an adverse effect. [If you do undertake a search engine registration initiative, you can save time by visiting engines like www.search.com that will submit your registration to multiple engines at once.]
Highlighter Down
All of the advice you gather from different sources will help you develop your plan. Asking what, why and how will bring this plan to a strategy for a strong Web presence and good positioning. Foremost, identify your core business and services well. Once these basics are in place, consider how you can deliver added value. Now you have whetted your user's appetite; they have discovered a taste for haggis and will return for more. Next week, paella. This is the traditional rice dish of Spain spiced with ….
Hyperlinks
Cited
· www.tucows.com
• http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm
• www.search.com/submit
By Susan Crawford
Magazine
Jan/Feb 2002
My carpenter
Dad would understand this title. If you earn your livelihood by the
hammer and saw, your creed is "measure twice and cut once." This principle
ensures the end product is a perfect fit with minimal effort, few mistakes
and delivered within budget. It also speaks to more, however, than efficiency.
This creed is the philosophy of a craftsman who takes pride in creating
an attractive product that will serve well long into the future. I am
a carpenter in the virtual world and I find this creed is equally applicable
whether I'm building an Internet strategy or undertaking a Web construction
project.
• Your Finger & Your Right Foot
If you are considering a Web presence, the most critical exercise to
perform early in your planning is to identify your user groups. Accurately
measuring your target audiences will dictate how you build each area
of your site. Miscalculate a target audience and you've put your finger
on the number one reason why half of all new dot-coms fail. Even if
you build it perfectly, visitors won't automatically come but knowing
your audience is half the battle.
Whether you're bringing an insurance agency, a non-profit wildlife advocacy
or a church online, you want to start on the right foot. The smartest
way to understand your audience is to draft simple user profiles on
members, visitors and outreach targets. Identify which services would
interest each type of user. How would each visitor prioritize your list
of services? How does each holiday differ for them? Use these needs
and preferences to continually guide content development, services,
use of technologies, page design and even color selections.
When strategizing, a church has a particular advantage when it comes
to understanding your audience because your brick-and-mortar ministries
are the same under click-and-mortar. Even if initial thinking excludes
an outreach program because it wouldn't translate well online, don't
dismiss the support you can provide to those peripherally affected (family
and friends) or the opportunity to reach those who minister to those
in need. The Internet is about relationship building. Creating an online
presence that fortifies offline missions will build lifetime value for
visitors and, in turn, grow enthusiasm and financial support necessary
to sustain it. The next phase is planning how to extend your offline
values and beliefs to your online ministry with the same warmth-of-community.
What is it about your church that offers this warmth? Is it a new-comers
welcoming focus or maybe a homeless ministry? You know your church's
strength, and the measure of your online success will be how well you
communicate who you are and what you care about, and how well your message
resonates with your users. Once you understand your audience as users,
welcome them like visitors and embrace them as family. When you've completed
this exercise, you will have a plan which will be integral to a relevant
and thoughtful Web ministry. With this plan in place, your Internet
venture will remain focused and ensure continuity, particularly if your
Web maintenance rotates among volunteer Webmasters.
• You Know Best, Don't Forget it!
Last Spring I worked with a group of creative and "connected" managers
teaching graphics for the Web. When I asked what they wanted to learn
and why, I was surprised most by answers to "why." I discovered that,
in instances where site development was being outsourced, the novice
technical status of these key people seemed to negate all the other
valuable talents they could contribute. Although these managers were
at the heart of their mission and had uncanny insight into their churches
or businesses, their confidence was shaken by foreign territory. The
result was inappropriate service offerings, long timelines for changes,
content that didn't reflect core values, technology overpowering content
(which should never be the case) and frustration. The tip I shared first
that day was this: vendor relationships need to be a collaboration between
experts and at least a 60/40 proposition favoring you, the client. Vendor
services should always be in the background catapulting your expertise.
You are working hard to contribute your 60%, so don't be afraid to ask
questions, assert your opinions or dictate specific directions. Wherever
you have the confidence to steer the right course, you will find a grateful
audience.
• Countdown On
Before you launch, you need a host for your site - an Internet service
provider ("ISP"). Your ISP is your access to the Internet backbone
(the super highway). There are several factors that will influence how
easily a visitor accesses your site and ISPs play a critical part. The
capacity of your ISP's equipment will determine how many visitors can
tour your site simultaneously and how fast. Selecting an ISP who offers
a large pipeline to the backbone prevents peak traffic bottlenecks and
crashes. A poor match between you and your ISP can reduce this helpful
gatekeeper to a costly traffic troll. There are several good online
resources to help you find a hosting candidate from dozens of ISPs;
one is The ISP List (www.thelist.com).
Sometimes, Internet traffic volume itself is the culprit for sluggish
Internet access. If you feel adventurous, you can explore Internet traffic
reports (www.internettrafficreport.com).
• Build Once
Internet projects are similar to expanding a business into a new geographic
market. In doing this, it is critical to gain an understanding of the
target market's culture. Chevrolet learned this hard lesson when marketing
its 'Nova' in Mexico - in a glaring oversight, they didn't realize they
were trying to promote a car whose name translated to "No Go." Site
layout, links, fonts and color are all culture-specific and especially
important considerations in your user profiles if your site is multi-cultural.
Your overall goal is good online manners - appropriate Web site design
with meaningful content. This mix will define how well you compete on
the Internet - and every site is competing. Even a denominational site
must compete for users' time and attention.
• Highlighter, Please
When you start plotting what-goes-where on your Web site floor plan,
remember you will be speaking visually and the layout should reflect
"lightness" in an information-intense environment. "Lightness" refers
to the visual weight of text, graphics and white ("negative") space
on your pages. Negative space confers breathing space and people need
a lot of breathing space.
Another component to consider in your design development is choices.
People like to make choices. Think about how crowded grocery shelves
have become. Your Web site doesn't need to have this kind of diversity
but choices (like a feedback opportunity) are important. Don't let users
get lost in a maze of pages, though. Keep users within 3 clicks of the
"heart" of your site. And last, avoid static cling (page content that's
of more interest to you than your users) by providing real-time information
and intuitive navigation. The Internet culture wants you to respect
their willingness to visit by providing a good user experience. Start
with your brochure story then shift your development from "what you
want to say" to "what does our congregation wants to know." In answering
this, you begin to offer options such as: · The latest legislative/lobbying
actions · Relevant global news · Enhanced ministries (email request
for Sunday pick up) · Industry conferences/workshops · Disaster volunteer
response.
A little psychology can also improve the user experience you are creating.
Simple insights into human perception can help a Web designer in determining
page layout decisions such as when to use columns, bulleted lists or
a table. There are six basic principles: --Law
of Succinctness (shown): the tendency to see objects as having
some perfect or simple shape because it is easier to remember. In the
example, the polygon is more easily perceived as being a circle because
our memory is associating it with an existing experience. --Law
of Proximity (shown): the tendency to group objects that
are closed to each other. This rule is important to page design as it
gives us an easy way to indicate that certain pieces of information
belong together. --Law of Experience
(shown): the tendency to match objects perceived to things we already
know. This is why successful designs rely on easily recognized graphics.
The last three laws are: --Law of Unity:
the tendency of grouping objects that are closed shapes. --Law
of Equality: the tendency to group similar objects. --Law
of Continuity: the tendency to assume continuity in objects.
Now that you have the layout and graphics you love, will browsers play
with your colors? Along comes a visitor who will access your Web page
through their browser which has its own way of displaying millions of
colors. How will you ensure your colors are displayed true? The answer
is a palette of 216 safe Web colors - colors displayed the same across
all browsers. I won't list these colors here, but you can visit my Web
page to view some of these colors and learn more (webcolors).
• Applause
Highlighter down. You have worked through some important Internet tenets.
Foremost, an Internet/Web campaign should be executed with the same
level of internal effort as any other campaign or mission. Be intentional
- identify your main objectives, establish a basic budget, commit reasonable
resources and explore new possibilities. As you move into your project,
maybe a tip or two from here will help you measure twice and build wisely
once. Thanks, Dad.
Hyperlinks
Cited
www.thelist.com
www.internettrafficreport.com
